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5 Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Day

09 Feb

Are you a full-on romantic, with Valentine’s plan carefully constructed in January? Or are you more of a last-minute, petrol station flowers and chocolate, panic buyer?

Plastic wrapped chocolates. Cute teddy bears made in sweatshops. Flowers imported from across the world. They might tell your significant other that you care, but what are the consequences for the planet, and the people making them?

Either way, if you want to celebrate the most romantic day of the year, it can be easy to get caught up in the hype. Often, this means spending money on things that aren’t environmentally kind or ethical.

Being more aware of what you consume on Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to mean missing out on all the fun and romance. You can still show someone you love them without extravagance or mass-produced plastic.

This year, have a little heart and show some love to the planet by aiming for an eco-friendly Valentine’s Day. Here’s how to keep it free from plastic and full of ethics.

1. Dinner for Two, Minus the Food Waste

A candlelit dinner is as green as it is romantic – think of the electricity you’re saving!

Eating at home can be as romantic as eating out. Set the scene with mood lighting, candles and music, and leave the washing up until the next day!

It’s also a great excuse to enjoy the warm weather of the Australian summer and pack up a picnic and enjoy a bike ride to a local beauty spot. An afternoon in nature is good for the soul, just remember to leave nothing but footprints behind!

Whether you go out or stay in, spending quality time with your loved one over a delicious meal is the perfect way to celebrate anything.  In either case, avoid over-ordering/cooking so that all the surplus food that you don’t eat doesn’t end up in the bin and aim to eat as much local produce as you can.

2. Free From (Plastic and Bad Ethical Practices) Chocolate

If you’re feeling the love, why should that be at the detriment of someone else? The chocolate trade is steeped in bad ethics, from unfair working conditions and pay, to the use of palm oil. So this year, look for a Fairtrade box of chocolates. Warm cocoa also makes a tasty drink to share with many health benefits. Cacao is available at most health food stores, look for one without plastic packaging.

3. Finer Florals

Seasonal, locally grown food is sustainable, and the same can be said for flowers. When it comes to beautiful bouquets, keeping things environmentally friendly means that roses are out. When buying flowers, consider the amount of plastic wrapping they come in too. Would a potted plant be a better option? It’ll certainly last longer!

Also, if your flowers have come from overseas, there’s every chance that they’ve been grown and cut by someone not paid a fair wage. This is especially true at this time of year to meet demand.

4. A Handmade Valentines

You don’t need to be a genius to be creative. Remember how simple life was when you made your own Valentines cards? Just because you’re an adult now, it doesn’t mean you can’t still make them.

Can you bake a cake or cook your Valentine’s favourite meal? Can you make them a beautiful Valentine’s card? Or write a poem, a piece of music or a song? Maybe you’re good with wood or metal. Painting or sketching. Can you sew without stitching yourself up? Whatever you can create, the chances are it will be more appreciated than something bought from a shop.

If words or art aren’t your thing, something else that can be given is a massage. Set aside an hour and do a loving massage for your partner. You could also make this into a fun activity for both of you by getting your partner to exchange the massage. 

Get as creative as you like, safe in the knowledge no one else will be giving the same gift. It doesn’t matter how good it is; it’s the thought that counts!

5. Valentines Experiences

Experiences are often worth so much more than stuff. You can keep it simple with a walk in the park or an evening together playing board games with no phones or tablets. Dedicating time to each other, including the kids if you want to, can be so valuable.

Buy gift experiences like cookery class if they love being in the kitchen and you have the budget. Or simply handwrite some IOU messages, and leave them around the house. You could promise a massage, making dinner for a week or a trip to the cinema.

If you’re thinking of going away for the weekend, look for eco retreats. One that is accessible (and affordable) by train rather than driving gives you even more eco points.

Go against the grain, and do something different whilst being mindful of the planet. Often, a simple “I Love You” with breakfast in bed is more than enough.

Have less of an impact, show the planet some love and opt for an eco-friendly Valentine’s Day this year.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Let us know how you’ll be spending it this year in the comments below.

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17 Jun
Vesica blog

How To Make Vegetable Broth From Kitchen Scraps

When it comes to waste in the kitchen, reducing and reusing is the name of the game. Reducing packaging, reducing plastic appliances, reducing and reusing plastic, reducing food waste, reducing toxins. 

But sometimes the amount of food waste you produce can sometimes feel unavoidable. You are often left with what seems like a neverending pile of peels, inedible skins, nasty tasting stalks and hard roots and ends, all of which end up in our rubbish bins. 

Did you know that organic material buried in landfills causes over 3% of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions annually?

There are so many great ways to reduce plastic packaging, but you might be wondering ‘what can I do with my food waste?’. 

Even when cooking simple, nourishing meals the number of food scraps produced can quickly build up. A great way to target this is to make a vegetable broth from kitchen scraps. Making your own provides a hearty winter warmer, reduces your need to buy pre-produced broth and offers you a powerful blend of vitamins and minerals. 

Aside from the packaging that store-bought broths come in, these are also known to contain a high level of salt, toxic preservatives and nasty msg’s so a homemade broth is a great way to give you and your family’s immune system, and overall health, a boost during the colder winter months. 

The great thing about this broth is that there really are no rules. Collect any and all food scraps you produce throughout the week and place them in a jar or container in your fridge. 

Veggies that work really well include potato peel, the roots and peels of carrots, onion skin and roots, broccoli stems, celery leaves, pumpkin skin, and any herbs or veggies in your kitchen cupboard or fridge which are starting to look sad (don’t use if it’s mouldy though). Get creative, and experiment with flavours, by chucking anything you have in the pot and simply boiling it up!

This broth is great to use as a base for soups, stews, risotto and sauces. Just store in a clean jar or container in your fridge or freezer and pop it in your recipes throughout the week. Your boiled scraps can then be added to your compost bin. Happy cooking!

Ingredients:

4 cups of food scraps

12-14 cups of water

A handful of any wilting herbs you have in the fridge (rosemary, thyme and parsley are great for this), or dried to supplement 

 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 inch of fresh garlic, peeled and sliced

2 bay leaves

salt to taste

Method: 

Place everything in a large stockpot including your water. Bring to the boil

Reduce heat and simmer on a low heat (covered) for 1 hour

Turn off the heat and remove vegetable chunks with a slotted spoon

Strain remaining liquid through a metal sieve. Allow to cool

Store in a jar or airtight container for up to a week, or freeze in portions

Have you tried making your own stock before? Let us know how it went!

02 Jun
Vesica blog

5 Ways You Can Make a Difference on World Environment Day 2021

Celebrated annually on June 5, the United Nations hosts World Environment Day to help raise awareness about the environment and invite people around the world to take action to protect our planet and its natural resources. Since its inception in 1974, a different country has hosted the event with a specific theme. This year’s theme is ‘ecosystem restoration’ and focuses on resetting our relationship with nature. 

As host of World Environment Day, Pakistan will highlight environmental issues and showcase its initiatives and their role in global efforts. Led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Government of Pakistan – in one of the world’s most ambitious afforestation efforts – plans to expand and restore the country’s forests through a 10 Billion Tree Tsunami spread over five years. 

The campaign includes restoring mangroves and forest and planting trees in urban settings, including schools, colleges, public parks and green belts. Pakistan has launched an Ecosystem Restoration Fund to support nature-based solutions to climate change and facilitate the transition towards environmentally resilient, ecologically targeted initiatives covering afforestation and biodiversity conservation. 

However, anyone worldwide can participate in the celebration to raise awareness about our impact on nature and how we can reset our relationship with the planet. You can sign up on the WED site for updates on official events in your local area, or you can come up with ways that you and your family can celebrate right in your neighbourhood. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Plant native Australian flora for the bees

Bee populations are dwindling worldwide. Ensuring that native Australian bee species have plenty of their favourite flowers and plants on which to feed goes a long way towards helping those populations build back up. These plants include abelias, bottlebrushes, honey myrtle and other native Aussie flowers which you can plant in your backyard. You could also organise a group of keen gardeners to grow native plants in your community or children’s school.

Compost your food waste

Composting is one of the most effective ways that you can help the environment. Food waste makes up almost 40% of the typical domestic rubbish bin, including spoiled fruit and vegetables, the peels, the skins, the outer leaves, the cores, the husks, the seeds—the ‘inedible’ bits. By sending food waste to landfill, Australians generate methane equal to around 6.8 million tonnes of carbonic acid gas. Methane is 30x more potent than your average Co2.

Avoid single-use plastics

Can you go a whole day without buying anything in plastic? It’s a big ask but give yourself a challenge, you might be surprised at how easy you find it! Today could be a great day to check out your local bulk store or farmers market.

Adjust your thermostat

Greenhouse gas emissions occur anytime non-renewable energy is used to heat our houses. One of the top tips for saving CO2 is to turn your thermostat down by 2 degrees C in the winter and up by 2 degrees in the summer. These are temperatures that you won’t even notice but make a massive difference to energy saving.

Try to think about when you will really need the house heating and only turn the heating on when you are in the house. For example, if you’re heading for a trip away for the weekend and it’s the summertime, you could probably knock the heating off while you are away. Likewise, when it comes to your air conditioner, open up your house when the cool change comes in the evening and sleep with a light cotton sheet.

Take part in a beach clean-up.

At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year and make up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. There are various ways that this plastic ends up in our oceans, but one way we can help stop quickly is the amount of plastic that the tide sweeps up from the beach and coastlines. 

You can make a difference by joining a beach clean-up organisation in your area or hosting your own! Simply get a group of like-minded eco-enthusiasts together and pick up any rubbish you see on your local beach to make it a safer and more pleasant place to be. 

Do you celebrate World Environment Day? How do you mark the occasion? Let us know in the comments below.

06 May
Travel

Travelling more sustainably – our top tips!

As countries start to open up again post-Coronavirus, you may be starting to think about getting that Wanderlust fix you’ve been dreaming about for the best part of the last year. In Australia, overseas travel is resuming to New Zealand, and Singapore may not be far behind, so many are rushing to book a trip as soon as they can. 

This is a great opportunity to create the new ‘normal’ that you want to live by. A clean slate almost to live a life that you are more fulfilled by. You’ve started to transform your home into a more planet-friendly and human-kind friendly environment so you may be wondering how you can bring these new practices into the way you travel. 

So, we want to show you how to travel sustainably, so that you can be a little bit friendlier to the planet when you travel in the future.

The impact that tourism has had on many countries is massively damaging. Many destinations which once had thriving communities have seen people pushed out from their homes in order to make way for huge, corporate-owned hotels. Local businesses have been crushed by American-owned restaurants and coffee shops taking their customers. Areas of beauty have also been destroyed by the sheer footfall of tourists visiting popular and well-published areas. 

One example is Maya Bay, on Ko Phi Phi Leh island in Thailand. You would recognise it from the movie The Beach with Leo DiCaprio (yep, that one!) which has been closed indefinitely to tourists thanks to an overwhelming amount of pollution on the island. At its peak, the island was receiving almost 5,000 tourists and 200 boats a day, who brought litter, boats and sun cream caused. It is estimated that more than 80% of the coral around Maya Bay has now been destroyed.

Travelling sustainably doesn’t mean that you need to stop flying altogether, or leave the life you know and take to the road for 6 months. However, there are a few simple changes you can make to your mindset and your actions that can make a huge difference. Here’s how:

1. Think carefully about your destination 

Obviously, the distance you are travelling will impact the environment but it’s good to check how eco-friendly the actual city you are visiting is. One of our favourites, Ljubljana in Slovenia, has been voted one of the greenest in Europe⁣⁣.

2. Stay in one place for longer⁣

⁣If you can, base yourself in one city or area for long enough to soak up the culture, meet the locals and get a sense of your surroundings⁣. Book homestays or local apartments to stay in instead of big hotels. Spend time getting to know your hosts if you have the time, ask them for recommendations, take up offers of dinners and be more flexible with your travel plans.

3. Travel by road or train to your destination to save on carbon emissions

Choose a location that you can explore on foot or by bike. Take the road less travelled. Visit destinations and attractions that are a little bit less known, don’t just follow the guidebook’s recommendations or go to that clifftop on everyone’s Instagram. Avoid crowded areas so that you’re not contributing to the damage to the flora and fauna.

4. Seek out local guides to show you the area, rather than big tour companies⁣

Tip generously⁣. Ignore the guidebook and contribute to the local economy by shopping and eating in smaller, locally owned businesses⁣⁣. By support locals, instead of global corporations, you will be enabling the community to thrive and survive for years to come.

5. Pack smart! 

The most important thing is to pack light, especially if staying in homestays which won’t have a porter service. Try to think about which toxic products, like sunscreen, soaps, shampoos, you are taking with you and look for natural alternatives.

6. Share your stories with your friends and family afterwards⁣. 

Pass on contacts of what you enjoyed, encourage others to do the same! Lastly…leave the throw away little trinket souvenirs there and complimentary hotel toiletries alone. You’ve probably got plenty from pre-corona time travel still sitting in your bathroom. 

Do you think about how sustainable you travel? What are some of your favourite eco-friendly methods of travel? Let us know in the comments below.

09 Apr
Vesica blog

6 Ways to Celebrate Earth Month

April is Earth Month! While every day in our house is Earth Day, we are always trying to add more and more ways in our business and as individuals to help to fight climate change and save the planet. 

As we look forward to Earth Day on April 22, now is a great time to start planning how you might want to celebrate and what you can do to take part! Here, we share our top six favourite ways to celebrate Earth Month.

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Adopt the 3 R of sustainability and help to save the planet! 

Reduce what you buy. Before you make a purchase, ask yourself if you genuinely need it or if you can repurpose other items that you already have. Shopping for secondhand clothing and products helps contribute to less waste. Avoid products wrapped in plastic, and limit your food waste by only buying what you need.

Reuse plastic items as much as possible or take to a secondhand store where possible, so they don’t end up in landfill.

Recycle correctly, and choose to buy recycled products to close the loop. Focus on the proper disposal of the items which you don’t need or use any more. 

2. Ditch single-use plastics

Reduce the amount of plastic you use by switching from single-use plastic items. Think of anything you throw away after you use them, like razors, water bottles and coffee cups and instead buy a reusable water bottle that you can keep refilling and take your reusable bags with you when you next go shopping. The planet, and your wallet, will thank you!

3. Tune in to Earth Day Live

Join billions worldwide on April 22 to watch world leaders, youth activists, and social media influencers all come together to talk about ways in which we can #RestoreOurEarth. 

Most events are still online, as EARTHDAY.ORG will have its second Earth Day Live digital event. Workshops, panel discussions, and special performances will focus on Restore Our Earth™ — we’ll cover natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking to restore the world’s ecosystems. 

Some local communities are also holding in-person tree planting and beach clean-ups, where possible.

4. Be An Advocate For Our Planet!

Education is one of the best things you can do to start your journey in fighting climate change. You can do this in so many ways, like sharing facts about climate change & our ocean on your social media, sparking conversations with friends & family, and even organising regular clean-ups with your community. 

Ask your local cafes to ditch plastic straws (if they haven’t already) or supply plastic-free takeaway containers. Better yet, bring your own! Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to use their thermos’. Call out those rubbish tossers! Write an email to your local council and get involved in activities that can spread awareness among your community.

5. Get on your bike

Limit the number of unnecessary car journeys to reduce your carbon footprint. The fewer cars on the road, the fewer carbon emissions polluting the air and contributing to global warming. 

Riding your bike and just taking a walk are two of the best options available. Adding a basket or panniers to your bike instantly increases its versatility. And if you don’t have a bike or don’t know how to ride one, carpool or take public transportation.

6. Invest in Green Technology and Businesses

Support green advancements in technology and businesses striving for change by investing in them. Ultimately, businesses can significantly impact the climate, with only 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, so the obligation lies with businesses to make crucial changes that provide a positive impact on our planet. The big change comes when consumers demand it. 

If the threat of climate change has you questioning where your money is being invested, you may want to consider an ethical exchange-traded fund (ETF). An Ethical ETF is simply an ETF that excludes certain industries or companies from their investment holdings. Ethical ETFs can also require companies to meet certain sustainability targets in order to be eligible for inclusion. Always do your own research about which ETF is best for you and ensure you only invest what you can afford to lose. 

You can help hundreds of ways, but these are just a few easy ones to get you started. Make these a habit in April and continue them for the rest of the year. Each small effort we make to keep the Earth alive for our future generations adds up to a significant impact. 

How will you be celebrating Earth Month? 

24 Mar
Vesica blog

How to Compost for Zero Waste Living

Take out the plastic, and food is just about all that’s left in your rubbish bin. In zero waste living, your glass, paper, cardboard and metal are all commonly recycled so your scraps is all that remains.

Food waste makes up almost 40% of the typical domestic rubbish bin, including spoiled fruit and vegetables, the peels, the skins, the outer leaves, the cores, the husks, the seeds. The ‘inedible’ bits, basically.

Composting is one of the most effective ways that you can help the environment. By sending food waste to landfill, Australians are generating methane equal to around 6.8 million tonnes of carbonic acid gas. Methane is 30x more powerful than your average Co2.

Here, we show you options for composting in gardens or smaller spaces as well as environmentally-friendly ways to deal with your food scraps.

Types of Compost Bins

If you’ve got a backyard, you’ve got it pretty easy. You’ll be able to have a tumbler bin, an interior bin that stands alone, a worm bin or you have the option of trench composting.

Trench composting involves digging a minimum of a foot deep into the ground to throw your scraps in and then you bury them. Remember with this option, it’s important to make sure that you’re digging pretty deep so that animals aren’t able to dig them up.

If you reside in an apartment or inner city, there are other ways to compost, like bokashi bins and electronic composters that can be kept in your kitchen cupboard or on your counter tops.

Worm farms (also called vermicomposting) are also a good option if you only have indoor options available to you as they thrive in stable temperatures. They use composting worms, which are fast growing and fast eating, instead of earthworms that you just might collect from your garden.

Options for City and Suburban Living

A standard compost bin requires a patch of soil or dirt about 1m² so they are easy to accommodate in tiny gardens or small areas outside of your house.

Even if you don’t have your own garden, look for shared areas where might be able to put one. It might even be possible for you to borrow or share an compost bin with friendly neighbours in your local area. It doesn’t hurt to ask, and it’s an opportunity to build good relations with others in your area.

If you live in an apartment but have a balcony, a tumbler compost bin would work well as they don’t require being dug into the ground.

If you don’t have space to compost bin in your home, community gardens are an excellent place to take your waste for composting. Many accept food scraps without the necessity for you to be a member (although being a member may be a good way to support a neighborhood organisation doing good within the community). Research where the closest community garden is to your home, and get in touch to find out how you can use their bins.

Many areas are now collecting scraps within the organic waste / garden bins so it’s also worth checking with your local council about what they’re currently accepting.

Other ways to cope with veggie scraps

Food scraps can be used in a number of easy and useful ways; vegetable stalks and skins are great in homemade stock, apple cores and skins fermented down into apple cider vinegar, roots sprouted in water and planted in your veggie garden, stale bread makes the perfect croutons when roast or fried for french toast, soft fruit and veg can be used in baking, banana skins can even be used for cleaning! What you can’t, or don’t want to reuse, can then be thrown into the compost bin.

How do you deal with your food waste? Do you compost, or have a worm farm, or a bokashi? Which one is your favourite? 

24 Feb
Vesica blog

9 Essential Items to Build a Plastic Free Starter Kit

We all have the best intentions of living completely plastic-free, but then you accidentally forget to decline your plastic straw when you order your drink, you grab a coffee and realise you left your reusable coffee cup at home, or you can’t make it to the bulk store. We get it. Life happens right?

Don’t get hung up on these things, move on and make changes now so that you can avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

The first step towards change is often the hardest, but a good place to start living a life of less waste is a plastic-free kit.

A plastic-free kit is a collection of essential items which you can keep on your, or near you, at all times so that you’ll never run the risk of being without something and having to opt for the plastic version.

Perhaps you’re just starting out, or you’re looking for some inspiration on how you can reduce your impact even further, so we’ve put together 9 essential items that every good plastic-free kit needs.

Reusable Coffee Cup

Nothing tastes better than a ‘proper’ coffee from a coffee shop, made by an experienced barista. What used to be a quick pick-me-up has now become a morning ritual.

Australians throw out 2.7 million single-use or disposable coffee cups every single day. This adds up to 1 billion coffee cups thrown out every year. Can you even imagine what 1 BILLION coffee cups look like?!

Reduce the waste that you produce by grabbing yourself a reusable coffee cup. Not only do they usually look better than a paper or plastic version, they will keep your coffee warmer for longer and do good for the planet too.

Shopping Bags

Getting yourself a reusable shopping bag is one of the easiest ways that you can reduce your plastic waste.

Up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. These often end up in our oceans and are often consumed by turtles mistaking them for jellyfish, or by whales.

We love an insulated shopping bags to keep our veggies fresh and frozen food frozen for longer.

Tea Leaf Strainer

If you’re anything like us and average upwards of 5 cups of tea each per day, every day then over the course of a year you’ll be sending over 2,000 tea bags to landfills. The numbers are shocking when you think about it!

Teabags are made from a very fine plastic that realised particles into your tea, and our water stream. To reduce your impact swap your tea bags for tea leaves in a metal strainer instead.

Loose tea leaves are often better quality too, so it’s a win-win.

Water Bottle

More than 60 million plastic bottles end up in landfills and incinerators every day. Six times as many plastic water bottles were thrown away in the US in 2004 as in 1997. Plastic waste is one of many types of wastes that take too long to decompose.

Normally, plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills so add a stainless steel metal water bottle to your plastic-free kit and reduce your impact on the environment.

Metal Straw

Plastic straws are not biodegradable. Most plastic straws simply break into ever-smaller particles, releasing chemicals into the soil, air, and water that are harmful to animals, plants, people, and the environment.

Fortunately, saying no to plastic straws no longer leaves you with the option of a soggy paper straw. Equip yourself with a reusable straw, they are so easy to keep in your handbag so you’ll never be left without.

Zip Lock Bags/Wax Wrap

There are so many better options for eco-friendly food storage on the market than plastic.

Only recently have the wonders of honey bee products been discovered by the masses. In recent years, people are starting beehives in their backyard and now the benefits of beeswax are going mainstream as well!

They may not be a vegan option but beeswax wraps are safe for you and mother earth. They are made of 100% eco-friendly materials and can be left to compost when ready to discard.

Lunchbox

Say goodbye to pre-made sandwiches or salads in plastic boxes.

Get yourself a lunchbox that is made from natural and renewable wheat straw fibre, starch and food-grade PP instead. They are 100% environmentally friendly, BPA-free, non-toxic, renewable, degradable and food safe.

Toothbrush

It’s estimated that the average person uses 300 toothbrushes a year. That equates to billions of toothbrushes lying in landfills and oceans which never break down.

Swap your plastic toothbrush for a brush made from biodegradable natural fibres like bamboo instead.

Hairbrush

Another plastic product which can be easily swapped for natural material alternatives.

A plastic-free bamboo bristle hairbrush will look oh so pretty sat on your bathroom shelf and will also improve the condition of your hair and scalp. 

Do you have a plastic free kit? What do you keep in yours?

01 Feb
Uncategorized

Zero Waste Food Tips

Food waste is a huge—but edible—problem. Food waste costs the economy around $20 billion each year. Each year we waste around 7.3 million tons of food – this wastage equals about 300kg per person or one in five bags of groceries. 

Food that’s taken land and energy to produce, required water and nutrients, needed labour to ensure it grew, could be harvested and processed, fuel to transport…and then it ends up in the bin. It’s estimated that food waste accounts for more than five per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. If that’s not the biggest unnecessary waste of resources, then we don’t know what is. 

Fortunately, there are many things we can do at home to reduce our food waste, so we’ve put together some of our top tips to help you reduce your food waste and take those extra steps towards a zero-waste kitchen.

Preparation is Key

One of the easiest ways to be successful in a zero-waste kitchen is preparation. Before heading to the supermarket or farmer’s market, organise your fridge or cupboards, create an inventory, plan your meals for the week and write a shopping list to ensure that you only buy exactly what you need and will actually use.

Store your food properly

An essential first step in reducing food waste is storing your food. Your produce will stay fresh and last longer if it is stored correctly. Learn to recognise if something is bad or not, rather than relying on the ultra-conservative supermarket “best before” dates and ensure that food is kept in clean, sealable containers either in cupboards or in the fridge as needed. It’s also a good idea to freeze what you can in portions as soon as you bring them home so you can use what you need.

Save your food scraps

Food scraps can be used in a whole heap of easy and useful ways; vegetable stalks and skins can be made into homemade stock, apple cores and skins can be fermented down into apple cider vinegar, roots can be sprouted in water and planted in your veggie garden, stale bread can be roasted into croutons or fried for french toast, soft fruit and veg can be used in baking, banana skins can even be used for cleaning! What you can’t, or don’t want to reuse, can be thrown into the compost bin.

Begin or Rediscover Composting

Whether you haven’t started composting, or you’ve forgotten about that compost bin in the corner of your garden, now is the perfect time to begin or rediscover composting. The food scraps you produce in the kitchen (think carrot peels, eggshells, coffee grounds) can create beautiful compost which is so much better for the environment then chucking those scraps in a landfill.

Cook in Bulk

Cooking bulk, one-pot meals are a great way to ensure that your produce doesn’t go bad before you’ve had a chance to use it. Bulk meals can be easily frozen in meal portions and used when you fancy them. Plus it will almost be like reaching for a ready meal after work saving you the time of preparing a fresh meal every day.

Reducing food waste may seem overwhelming or challenging at first, but remember that every single effort counts. If all of us began practising even a couple of these tips on a regular basis, that would have a huge impact on our health, our budgets and the environment. Start with easy things like only buying the amount of food you need, shopping in-season, buying from local farmers to reduce the carbon footprint of your food and cooking in bulk. There’s no better time to get started than now – today is the day!

How zero waste is your kitchen? Let us know in the comments.

29 Dec
Uncategorized

6 Ways To Have A Plastic-Free Summer

We find the summer holidays one of the most challenging times to be plastic-free. The routine of the week and comforts of home make packing your own lunches in glass or metal containers, remembering your shopping bags and sipping from your water bottle easier. 

Now the summer holidays are here, and you might be out of the house a little bit more, away from home visiting family or looking for ways to treat yourself to a coffee from your local cafe. It’s all too easy to fall back into your old plastic wasting habits.

Incorporate some plastic-free activities and practises into your summer holidays. Soon they will become second nature, meaning that you will be reducing your plastic without even thinking about it! Here are six of our favourite plastic-free activities to get you started.

Take your own picnic

If you’re lucky enough to be able to explore or even travel further afield, pack up a picnic and set off for your local park or beach. 

For the ultimate plastic-free picnic, wrap your goodies in muslin or wax and store items glass or metal containers. You can also bring your own water bottles or thermos’ to drink from and bamboo cutlery, if you need them. Then all you need to do is just sit back and relax.

Remember your water bottle

Plastic bottles are the quickest thing to sink to the bottom of the ocean, and they never biodegrade. Plastic particles from bottles are also slowly eroding into your water so on a whole they are bad for the environment, and bad for your health! Grab yourself a stainless steel water bottle instead and remember to keep these on hand when you’re out and about this summer.

Visit the local farmers market

Farmer’s markets are a great activity, and a great way to save on plastic wrapping, eat organic, support local and independent businesses and have an all-round more personal shopping experience. You can find these in your local town, and more and more are popping up in cities. Bulk food stores are also another way to save on packaging, just grab your favourite refillable container!

Buy from the deli or bakery

When it comes to buying the ingredients for family gatherings or summer BBQs, try to visit your local bakery, butchers or deli. Most small businesses are happy to wrap your products in your own containers, or wax wraps so just ask!

Start your own herb garden or veggie patch

Herbs and veggies often come with a considerable amount of plastic waste. From herb portions wrapped in plastic to fruit on plastic trays, there are so many ways that you can reduce your plastic waste and growing your own is one of the best. Even if you just have space for a few small pots of herbs or salad leaves on your window ledge growing your own is a perfect activity to keep the whole family busy all summer long.

Ditch the coffee runs

We know that grabbing a coffee from a cafe feels like a treat, but disposable coffee cups can no longer be recycled. It is estimated Australians use 1 billion disposable coffee cups each year. That’s approximately 2,700,000 paper coffee cups thrown out every day! Instead, invest in your own reusable coffee thermos or some quality, fair-trade coffee that lives up to your takeaway coffee standards and make your own at home.

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18 Nov
Vesica blog

How To Throw A Zero Waste Birthday Party For Your Kids

Kids birthday parties are wonderfully fun for all, but in the way that they are traditionally celebrated, they are the enemy of zero-waste living. The average child’s birthday party generates vast quantities of waste. From streamers, balloons, cake, ice cream, pizza (all on disposable plates), presents stacked in one corner, plastic goodie bags stocked with cheap toys for all the children to take home, all of which eventually get thrown into a landfill by the end of the afternoon.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way. A little planning well in advance will also take away the stress of trying to organise something a little different this year…or maybe it’s baby’s 1st birthday and you’re going green from the get-go. Throwing a zero-waste birthday party is absolutely possible, nor does it require a lot more work, but you’ve got a year to prepare. 

The important part of a zero-waste birthday party is having the birthday-being involved and excited to make their special party zero impact. Make it an excuse to spend quality time with your child planning and making decorations. Here are some ideas on how to cut down on unnecessary waste, save money and have a fun celebration that won’t damage our planet.

Decorations

For decorations, skip the balloons – as pretty as they are, they are also incredibly destructive to wildlife and the environment (See Balloons Blow or ENC for info and visuals). There are many great reusable alternatives to help accomplish a festive appearance. Some of our favourites include:  

  • making your own Happy Birthday banners by printing a personalized one at home.
  • bunting! Nothing says party like bunting, upcyclable or check out a fabric store for a unique pattern in an ‘end of roll special’. It does take some time to make, but you’ll use it again and again in the years to come.
  • crafting streamers from fabrics or recycled paper.

Food

Simple finger foods, cupcakes, fairy bread, fruit platters, and a pitcher of juice, coconut water or water are just as nice, easier to prepare, and you can get by with just napkins or recycled paper towel if you want. When it comes to birthday party snacks, avoid plastic-packaged foods and disposable dishes – instead, opt for:

  • shopping at local grocers, markets and small businesses in your area
  • loose plastic-free produce
  • snacks that can be bought in bulk (using your own containers), like nuts, pretzels, popcorn, candies
  • homemade items, like muffins, hummus, cookies, bread
  • a pitcher of orange juice or water with reusable cups, instead of juice boxes or bottled water or kombucha, non-alcoholic mixers and alcoholic beverages which are all available in glass bottles.
  • a container for food scraps. There’s always a few half-eaten plates leftover and have something to transport everything home without making a mess is essential.
  • asking guests to BYO their favourite plate and cup. Everyone knows whose drink is whose too.

Table

Ask the other parents to encourage their kids to bring their own plates, cutlery and drinking cups. Most kids will have a baby or kids bowl at home they use, depending on their age of course. Once arranged on your party table, it will give a bit more flair to the event by being somewhat more formal than your average get-together. If dishes, cutlery or straws are needed for the adults attending, stick to reusables, like bamboo cutlery and metal straws. Rather than disposable napkins/paper towel, use reusable cloths/towels and have a damp cloth ready for spills.

Entertainment

If you’re planning games for the kids, make your own instead of buying new. Use pieces of used cardboard or biodegradable tissue boxes and tissue wrap to make a pinata, pass-the-parcel or Pin The Tail On The Whale. It’s a great way to get the kids involved and a fun craft activity for a rainy afternoon. 

If your kid has a fair-weather birthday, go with some sort of DIY outdoor activity – which not only saves money but also encourages nature appreciation and creativity. Obstacle courses (whether in a yard or local park), scavenger hunts (like a ‘trash hunt’, a.k.a. garbage pick up), sports (set up games of cricket, soccer, tennis, etc.) or a picnic in the park are fun family-friendly activities. Musical chairs, duck duck goose and hide and seek are all winners too. 

Invitations

Make your own digital card and send to those invited or to their parent’s email. There are over 300 000 customisable cards available on Etsy.

Or get creative and make a little video to send out or privately on Youtube to keep between friends, which will make a great memory.

Goodie Bags

Skip the goodie bags. How long does your kid actually play with those cheap plastic items in a goodie bag? Usually, about the time it takes to drive home, and once you’re there they then move on to playing with their toys. Right? 

If you want to offer something to your guests, try pre-loved books, pencils, paper face masks, seed packets (of herbs or wildflowers) or homemade snacks like cookies or granola bars in recycled fabric bags.

At the end of the day, nobody is perfect and you will probably make a little waste, but that’s ok; think about how much you have saved. Savour those memories, compost your food scraps and start planning for next year!

FREE PIN THE TALE ON THE WHALE
Printable A3 PDF

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04 Nov
Vesica blog

5 of the best plastic-free swaps for No Waste November

If you missed our last Instagram post, this month is No Waste November – a global movement to inspire people to pledge to reduce or eliminate waste in their lives. 

The initiative was started by Roots and Shoots, a youth-led action program in over 50 counties.  Founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, the program’s mission is to foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs, and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, other animals, and the environment.

Why a month? The theory is that it takes a month to develop a habit – in this case, one that benefits the planet!

The No Waste November pledge aims to help people (especially young people) to create good habits and healthy habitats.

You can get involved in No Waste November by:⁣

– Pledging to reduce your waste throughout November

– Getting your friends involved and joining the conversation through #NoWasteNovember

– Keeping it up for the rest of the month…and beyond!

If you have already pledged, we’d love to hear how you are doing and what kind of changes you have already made in your day-to-day routine.

If you are just starting, we wanted to share some of the easiest and cheapest ways that you can make a few swaps in your life which will make a massive difference to the amount of waste you create and reduce your plastic usage.

Reuse your shopping bags

Somewhere between five billion and one trillion plastic bags are used each year around the world, so get yourself some pretty reusable bags to take on your weekly supermarket trip. These are usually more attractive, bigger and last longer too. Plus there are so many great options of bags which fold up small so you can always keep one in your bag/pocket, just in case. Alternatively, grab an empty cardboard box from an aisle for an easy option to carry those extra items.

BYO reusable drinks bottles and coffee cups

Plastic bottles are the quickest thing to sink to the bottom of the ocean, and although coffee cups are made mostly from paper, they’re hiding an interior coated in plastic. Plastic particles from disposable water bottles are also slowly eroding into your water, so on the whole, they are bad for the environment, and bad for your health! Grab yourself a Vesica BPA Free, stainless steel bottle and a refillable coffee cup/tea infuser and keep these on hand whenever you’re out and about. 

Swap tea-bags for tea leaves

If you’re anything like us and average upwards of 5 cups of tea each per day, every day then over the course of a year you’ll be sending over 2,000 tea bags to landfills. The numbers are shocking when you think about it! To reduce this swap your tea bags for tea leaves in a metal strainer instead. The tea leaves are often better quality too, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

Ditch disposables

Disposable items in your house like razors, plastic toothbrushes and disposable cutlery may seem small. Still, over a lifetime, they are going to add up to a lot of plastic in our landfills. Switch to safety razors which you can change the blades of or items made from natural/biodegradable materials like bamboo. Plus, they look much nicer on your bathroom shelf.

Avoid wrapped fruit and veg

One of the easiest things you can do is to refuse the pre-wrapped fruit and veg in the supermarket. Instead of buying that plastic-wrapped multi-packs or items like packs of 6 apples, visit your bulk shop or pick your own from the loose section and bring your own bag or put them straight in your basket. Even better if you are lucky enough to have access to a farmer’s market!

Are you taking the No Waste November pledge? Let us know in the comments!

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21 Oct
Environmental concerns

5 Easy Ways to Fight Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most defining issues of our time. Many people see it as the most important issue we are facing in current times. From community destroying flooding, extreme weather conditions, rising sea levels, rising temperatures and country-wide wildfires, there’s no doubt that we need to take action to find ways to fight climate change on a global level. 

Heatwaves are becoming more common, hotter than ever before and longer-lasting longer. Over the past 5 years, the country has seen temperatures rise to nearly 50 degrees (celsius) in some parts, which is not only having an effect on our health and wellbeing but also to our country and the plants and animals who live on it. 

“Since 1910, Australia’s climate has warmed by more than 1 degree Celsius (or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). In fact, without action, Australia is expected to warm as much as 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2090.”

– Climate Reality Project

We know this doesn’t sound like much every day, you may be thinking “a degree or two here and there can’t hurt”, but in a country that is already hot and dry a degree, or 5 degrees, is a huge concern.

The Paris agreement was signed in 2016 limiting global warming temperature rises to a maximum of 1.5C but the fact is that even at this temperature, we are already seeing the huge impact of climate change. Not only does the rise in temperature cause our bushfire season to be longer and bigger, but droughts and heatwaves are also affecting our food production from agriculture and livestock, and the rise in water temperatures are also killing the Great Barrier Reef and affecting our Oceans.

We know that fighting climate change is not an easy task. Rising CO2 concentrations – and related global warming – will only stabilise once annual emissions reach net-zero, but there are some easy changes we can make to our day to day lives to help the cause and help our own health. We’ve put together a few ways to fight climate change which you can easily implement in your household today.

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Learn the facts and speak the truth!

Education is one of the best things you can do to start your journey in fighting climate change. We know there is A LOT of information out there, and far too many opinions about the right and the wrong way to deal with the situation, but reading the information out there is a great way to start on top of what is currently happening and how you can help. After all, the more you know, the more you can do!

Follow some independent news channels, join The Plastic pollution Coalition, follow some environmental influencers or eco-friendly business accounts on social media to get bite-size amounts information throughout your day if you’re overwhelmed by long, scientific articles and news stories. 

Once you have some information, talk to your friends and family and see what they are doing to help or what information they can offer. It doesn’t need to be a huge debate or an argument over the breakfast table but sharing ideas is the best way to spread the word and begin to influence others. Each small step goes a long way! Do you really need 3 soy sauce filled plastic fish with you sushi lunch, maybe you could ask for a squeeze from their large bottle. Sadly ironic right?….Eating fish, with the help of plastic fish, that kill the real fish, by eating the discarded plastic fish and then we eat the real fish poisoned by the plastic fish. 

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Energy, resources, fossil fuels, and environmental impacts all go into producing clothes, textiles, white goods, phones, computers etc. so focus on buying second-hand, up-cycling or reusing old things you have in your house. 

Focus on the proper disposal of the items which you really don’t need or use any more and find loving homes for them or find appropriate recycling points. Limit your food waste by buying only what you need and buying local food to reduce your food’s carbon footprint by the number of miles it has travelled.

Reduce the amount of plastic you use in any way you can by switching from single-use plastic items, like razors, water bottles and coffee cups and instead buy a reusable water bottle that you can keep refilling and take your own reusable bags with you when you next go shopping. The planet will thank you!

Eat your way to climate stability

The decisions we make about food can have a profound effect on the environment. Buying organic and local whenever possible, growing your own, only eating sustainable seafoods and eating more meat-free meals will all make your diet more climate-friendly. It’s not just about what we consume thought but also how much of that food we waste.

Food waste is responsible for 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Once in landfill, food waste breaks down and emits greenhouse gases, including not only carbon dioxide (CO2) but methane (CH4) – a gas 25 times more potent than CO2. Therefore, reducing the amount of food you send to landfill and composting any waste can help to reduce those CO2  emissions. 

Adjust your thermostat

Greenhouse gas emissions occur anytime non-renewable energy is used to heat our houses. One of the top tips for saving CO2 is to turn your thermostat down by 2 degrees C in the winter and up by 2 degrees in the summer. These are temperatures that you won’t even really notice, but make a huge difference to energy saving.

Try to think about when you will really need the house heating too and only turn the heating on when you are in the house. For example, if you’re heading for a trip away for the weekend and it’s the summertime, you could probably knock the heating off while you are away.

Likewise when it comes to your air conditioner, open up your house when the cool change comes in the evening and sleep with a light cotton sheet.

Walk or ride, don’t drive

Draw a 2km circle around your house and try to walk as much as possible within that circle. Walking or cycling is better for your physical and mental health, but ditching the car to limit the number of unnecessary car journeys are also a great way to reduce the number of carbon emissions you contribute to the atmosphere. Adding a basket or panniers to your bike instantly increases its versatility.

Use it as an excuse to explore your local area too, instead of driving off to that beauty spot or packed beach for a walk on the weekends, make the most of your own backyard and explore local parks and rivers within walking or riding distance of your house. You might be surprised at what you find!

There are hundreds of ways you can help but these are just a few easy ones to get you started. Once you get these in place you will be able to and want to, start introducing more and more into your daily life. The future is in our hands. The time is now to make our own small efforts to keep the Earth alive for our future generations.

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07 Oct
At Home, Environmental concerns, Vesica blog

Easy Ways To Go Zero Waste At Home

Zero waste living aims to minimise the impact of modern life by reducing the amount of waste we produce. It’s said that the average Australian produces 540kg of waste per year so it can seem daunting to imagine not producing any waste of any kind.

Going zero waste is definitely not going to happen overnight but if there’s one thing we can do for the planet, it’s to reduce the amount of waste we produce. Especially in our own homes. There are some really easy steps you can take to move towards a zero-waste home, so we’ve put together a list of some easy and budget-friendly ideas below to get you started.

Remember, it’s not about being perfect. Small changes which we make collectively can make a big impact so pick a couple that is achievable for you and implement these in your home today.

EASY WAYS TO GO ZERO WASTE AT HOME:

  1. Separate your rubbish

The first step to zero waste is separating your rubbish properly. Without this, you might be sending waste to landfills which could actually be recycled or composted or contaminating your recycling so it has to be sent to landfills. Contaminated rubbish affects what will and won’t be sent to recycling.

An easy way to do this is to install four bins at home. One for landfill (e.g. non-recyclable plastics, household waste), one for recycling (e.g. paper, glass, cans, card), one for soft plastics (e.g. any plastic your can fold in your hand) and one for compost (e.g. food waste). Your number one goal at home is to use the landfill bin the least. 

It’s always a good idea to give any glass jars, can or packaging a rinse and let dry on your dish rack overnight to remove any food which might contaminate your recycling.

Some councils will take away your soft plastic but, if not, there are soft plastic drop-off bins at both Coles and Woolworths.

  1. Recycle glass jars

Glass jars can be used for so many things around the house and that’s not just making your own jam. Save and wash all of your empties and use next time you head to the bulk food store, regrowing your food scraps, pickling food for long term storage, storing leftovers in the fridge or taking to work, new cocktail glasses and food storage. Plus, the right jars can make your kitchen shelves and pantry look beautifully coordinated and organised.

  1. Invest in reusable food and drinks containers

One the easiest ways to reduce your waste is by storing your food properly, so it’s important to invest in reusable food and drink containers. Glass jars can be great for storing your coffee, nuts, smoothies, dried foods and pulses, but it’s a great idea to also invest in some natural, reusable containers like Pyrex-style glass dishes,  stainless steel bento boxes or silicone lids which you can use for meal prepping or saving your leftovers.

  1. Compost your food waste

A compost bin is a great addition to your kitchen or garden. There are some really good options out there for cheap and easy to implement composting options for your garden, and there are also clean, tabletop versions which you can keep in your kitchen available or community bins in your local area. Worm farms are ideal for those with limited space as they fit neatly on a balcony. 

  1. Use food scraps to make your own cleaning products

Food can be used for really effective cleaning products. Ingredients like distilled white vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda and sugar can be used to polish kitchen worktops, clean windows and remove stains whilst killing that pesky bacteria. Combine these with essential oils for a beautiful smelling home.

  1. Swap tea-bags for tea leaves

I don’t know about you but we average upwards of 5 cups of tea each per day, every day. That equates to almost 2,000 tea bags in our landfills per person in a year! Some teabags are made from, or sealed using plastic which not only sheds billions of particles of microplastic into each cup you drink but also end up in our landfills. To reduce this, swap your tea bags for tea leaves in a metal strainer instead. The tea leaves are often better quality too, so it’s really a win-win.

  1. Repair holes in clothes

It may sound obvious, but too often clothes are thrown away for having small holes, a broken zipper or a lost button even though these can be sown up very easily, without the need for any seamstress skills. Make an excuse to visit an older relative and ask them for tips if you’re really stuck, it’ll be a great bonding experience which you’ll find therapeutic.

  1. Ditch disposable for natural materials

There are some really great natural fibres on the market which provide brilliant and budget-friendly alternatives to disposable products like bamboo cotton pads, metal razors, natural loofah’s, plastic-free q-tips, natural tampons, cloth face wipes.

  1. Save food scraps for homemade stock and natural dyes

Food scraps can be used in a whole heap of ways like turning root veg stalks into homemade stock, apple cores and skins into apple cider vinegar, regrowing your roots, baking old bread into croutons and french toast, using banana skins for cleaning…I could go on…but one of our favourites is natural tie-dying. 

Simply using your food scraps and water, turmeric can be used to create yellow tones; red onion for pink; red cabbage leaves for purple and avocado skins for dusty pinks and browns. Plus, it’s a great way to bring life back into that white t-shirt you split red wine on!

  1. Request for no junk mail to be put through your letterbox

Another easy one, add a small sign to your front door or letterbox requesting that companies do not post you junk mail. Chances are you’re probably not interested in selling your house right now or need another plastic tradie magnet for your fridge. But when you do, you’ll open a web browser not your letterbox to find the best options.

  1. Use cloth nappies instead of disposable

A staggering 3.75 million disposable nappies are used each day in Australia and New Zealand, and it takes about one cup of crude oil to make each nappy. This is a lot for landfills, with conventional disposable nappies estimated to take up to 150 years to break down. Making a switch to cloth nappies is the more environmentally-friendly option, and is easier than ever with the modern cloth nappies currently available. You might also like to consider a cloth nappy washing service, but bear in mind the energy and emissions associated with transportation.

  1. Swap to rechargeable batteries

Never again find yourself hunting around in that draw you dump everything from pens, foreign coins, remote controls, keys that you have no idea what they open, letters you’re saving for…what was it again, random cards and pairs of glasses, for batteries again and switch to rechargeable types. Keep your batteries in two small glass jars, write ‘Flat’ and ‘Charged’ on the lids. Invest in quality rechargeable batteries and a charger. Charge a group of batteries and store in the ‘Charged’ jar, put the rest in the ‘Flat’ jar and charge as needed. When the remote goes flat, you know where to go. Thank us later.

  1. Prep!

Making meals instead of buying takeout or ready meals is a great way to reduce waste and save on all of those disposable take-away containers. You’ll use all the food you purchased at the supermarket, cut down on packaging of food items, and reduce the carbon footprint of your food while you’re at it. Dehydrators are great too for healthy snacks to store in your cupboards. Keep it really easy, and save time, by cooking food in bulk and eating it throughout the week.

What do you think of these tips? Do you have any other steps to add?

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